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12/15/12

7 Oldest Trees in the World

Nature has a way of persisting through
the destruction we wreck and being bountiful despite it. Everything
erodes but nature preserves itself and lives on while we perish. These
are some the oldest and most beautiful living things known to man.

1. Jomon Sugi Tree:This
large “Yakusugi Cedar” tree was located in 1996 and has since become
quite famous. It is said to be the largest Cedar tree in Japan. It is 25
meters tall with a trunk circumference of 16.2 m (53 ft) and estimated
to be around 2,200 years old (some claim that it is much older). It is
called “Jomon-sugi” (meaning Old Cedar) and is located in the Yakushima
World Heritage Area.

2. The Sarv-e-Abarkooh Cypress Tree:Also
called the Zoroastrian Sarv, The Sarv-e-abarkooh Cypress tree is
located in Abarkuh, Yazd, Iran. Protected by the Cultural Heritage
Organization of Iran as a national natural monument, it is indeed a
major tourist attraction with a height of 25 metres and circumference of
18 metres. It is estimated to be over 4000 years old and may be the
oldest living thing in Asia. According to the China Daily ranking of the
top 10 oldest trees in the world, Sarv-e Abar-Kuh is the second oldest
tree in the world and it holds a special place in the hearts of all
Iranians, with strong religious connotations.

3. ‘Alerce’ Patagonian Cypress Tree:Another
tree which is known to have been around for 35 million years, due to
fossilised remains – the oldest today being a youthful 3,600 years of
age – is the Patagonian Cypress, also known as the 'Alerce'. So valuable
was the wood of this tree to the Chilean locals that they used roof
shingles made from it as money.

4. Jardine Juniper Tree:The
Jardine Juniper was discovered on July 23, 1923, by Maurice Blood
Linford, a student at Utah State University. It stands on a ridge of
rocks roughly1 mile up the mountainside, directly west of the mouth
of Cottonwood Creek, nearly 16 miles up Logan Canyon. From the immense
size of the trunk he decided that the tree was nearly 3,000 years old.
The circumference of the trunk was 26 feet, 8 inches, and the tree stood
44 feet, 6 inches tall.

5. ‘Patriarca de Floresta’ Tree:Yet
another ancient South American resident is the 'Patriarca de Floresta'
tree of Brazil. One of the biggest trees in the Atlantic Forest, this
one is thought to be at least 3000 years old, almost certainly the
oldest non-conifer tree in Brazil. The tree is believed to be sacred,
but its species is widely threatened due to forest clearing in Brazil,
Colombia and Venezuela.

6. ‘Chestnut Tree of 100 Horses’:This
tree, located on Mount Etna in Sicily, is the largest and oldest known
chestnut tree in the world. Believed to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years
old, this tree's age is particularly impressive because Mount Etna is
one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The tree's name
originated from a legend in which a company of 100 knights were caught
in a severe thunderstorm. According to the legend, all of them were able
to take shelter under the massive tree. It is listed by Guinness World
Records as having the "greatest tree girth ever," at 190 feet in
circumference.

7. The ‘General Sherman’ Giant Sequoia, USA:One
of the youngest of these ancient trees is the 'General Sherman', a
Giant Sequoia that stands 275ft tall and measures 102ft in circumference
at the base. It can be found in the Sequoia National Park. As of 2002,
the trunk volume was measured at about 1487 cubic meters, and has been
identified as the largest tree in the world by wood-volume. It is
believed to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.